Thirty-five percent of those enrolled so far in the Norwegian Youth Fishing Program in 2024 are women.
Photo: Adobe Stock.
As of July 17, 651 young people had enrolled in Norway's Youth Fishing Program 2024 administered by the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries (Fiskeridirektoratet, Fdir, in its Norwegian name and acronym). According to information provided by the Norwegian Seafood Council, 227 of them - 35% - are women, which means that one out of every three participants in the program is a woman.
Even though there is still time to participate - the program started on June 17 and runs through August 16, 2024 - that figure also means that more women are participating this year than in any of the previous four editions, including 2023 which, so far, marked record participation with a total of 767 young fishers compared to 526 in 2020, 568 in 2021, or 517 in 2022.
In 2023, there were 9,657 professional fishermen in Norway. Of these, 2,257 - 23% - were under the age of 30. So, as part of an effort to increase recruitment to the fishing profession, every summer for the past five, the Norwegian Government, through the Ministry of Trade and Fisheries, presents this program whose ultimate goal is to offer young Norwegians an introduction to fishing as a career option.
"The seafood industry needs more skilled people of all ages, and the youth fishing program is especially important to ensure recruitment to the profession. I am genuinely proud and happy to see the skilled and brave young people who use their summer to try out the fishing profession," said Fisheries and Ocean Minister Marianne Sivertsen Næss.
Aimed at young people between 12 and 25 years old, the program, which applies nationwide, allows those interested to participate in fishing during the summer vacations and sell catches for up to NOK 50,000 (EUR 4,218 - USD 4,501). New this year, it also includes unregulated species caught in regular fisheries along the coast.
"I hope this will give them even more opportunities when they go out to test the fishing profession," Minister Sivertsen Næss added.
Youth fishing can be done with a rod, hand line, jigging machine, nets with a total length of up to 210 meters, lines with up to 300 hooks, and up to 20 traps or pots. Moreover, there are two practical ways to join the program: by arranging a summer job on a fishing vessel through family or acquaintances, or through municipal youth fishing projects.
In addition to Norway's Government Youth Fishing Program 2024 administered by Fdir, there are also municipal schemes that facilitate youth trying their hand at fishing. The Norwegian Government has allocated more than NOK 2 million (EUR 170.277 / USD 183.058) to support these municipal projects, making it easier for young Norwegians to try their luck in this profession.
This year, 24 municipalities have applied for assistance, and a total of 330 young people could have the opportunity to try out the fishing profession through them. Last year, 242 young people from 17 municipalities benefited from the experience through municipal projects.
"The youth fishing program is a good entry point for those curious about trying out the fishing profession. It gives young people a unique opportunity to test being fishers. I hope the program helps them get to know the entire industry. The fisheries are of great importance to communities along the entire coast, and there are many opportunities for skilled people also in the land-based industry and the aquaculture sector," Marianne Sivertsen Næss concluded.
